


Sweetheart, the Love Songs Got Us All Wrong

by truet



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: BAMF Peggy Carter, BAMF Tony Stark, Civil War Team Iron Man, Don't Like Don't Read, Ex-Peggy/Steve, Gen, Not Steve Friendly, Peggy Carter Lives, dear tag wranglers, it is a common tag, it's been almost 2 years, please give us our tag, still salty, the Not Steve Friendly tag has 27 pages now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-30 21:24:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20103844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/truet/pseuds/truet
Summary: What if Peggy outlived the Civil War?





	Sweetheart, the Love Songs Got Us All Wrong

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ana (Anafandom)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anafandom/gifts).

> This is not a Steve Rogers friendly piece. I think he's a lying, fascist turdsicle. Don't like; don't read. Comments will be moderated. 
> 
> Inspired by a line in [Second Chances](https://archiveofourown.org/series/717477) by Ana (Anafandom) in which Howard wondered "What would Peggy think?" about Cap's actions in Civil War.

Steve knew he was risking everything—his sanctuary in Wakanda, possible recapture—by coming back to the States to visit Peggy, but from the sound of that two-week-old voicemail, this might be his last chance to see her. He might already be too late.

He wore the ill-fitting disguise Nat worked up—a full suit and tie and a black wig—and snuck into the secure wing using the key card Nat had whipped up for him. But once inside, he had to duck into an empty room across from Peg's to avoid a nurse just leaving.

The nurse loitered in the hallway for far too long filling out something on her clipboard while Steve waited impatiently. Couldn't she do that back at her station? Gradually, Steve became aware of Peggy's voice saying something in her usual sweet, comforting tones. Damn it, she already had a visitor.

The nurse bustled away, and Steve focused his super hearing on Peggy's room. 

"...Dr. Erskine had such faith in him."

"Dr. Erskine...wasn't he the German scientist who...?"

Oh, God. Steve knew that voice.

"Yes. He always said Steve understood being powerless, so he was the perfect choice."

"Well, Erskine got that wrong. The powerless were begging to be heard, and Rogers didn't want to hear them, Aunt Peg. He said signing the Accords was surrendering his right to choose...I guess he didn't like the idea of the little guy doing the choosing. This was a few days before Rogers left me to die in Siberia. So much for choices, huh?"

"Bloody hell. You poor thing."

In three steps, Steve was yanking open Peggy's door so hard he tore the top hinge. "Stark. What in blazes are you doing here?"

Tony jolted back from Peggy's bed, his eyes going wide and his free hand jumping to his chest. His other hand, Steve was displeased to note, held Peggy's tight. A moment later, Tony's face cracked into a mocking grin.

"Nice get-up, Rogers."

"Steve," Peggy said, her voice suspiciously mild. "The question is, what in hell are _you_ doing here? Aren't you meant to be hiding in Wakanda?"

"What?" Steve glared at Tony. "What have you been telling her?"

"Don't look at me," Tony said. "She's the master spy. She told me."

"I might not have much left up here," Peggy said, tapping her temple. "But what I do have works just fine, short stack."

Steve reeled, hurt. "Peggy, why is he here," he said. "He's a traitor."

Tony started to rise from his seat, anger darkening his face, but Peggy held him back with one frail hand on his arm. 

"Tony is my godson, Steve. I asked him to come to fill me in on some...details about what I'd been hearing. Get it straight from the horse's mouth, as it were."

"And since you're a criminal and a fugitive from justice," Stark said airily, "she couldn't very well ask you to stop by."

Steve stepped forward, his fists clenched, and Tony tensed up, but Peggy raised one finger. "Boys, you will not get physical here! This is a convalescent home."

"Yes, ma'am," Tony said. "Just don't be surprised if he goes and collapses a tunnel on some unsuspecting commuters on his way out." 

"I was trying to save a man's life," Steve said through gritted teeth. 

Tony made a rude gesture.

Peggy sighed and took his hand again. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but there are people living here who could drop off from a tiny bit of excitement."

"And you're one of them, may I remind you," Tony said wryly, giving her hand a pat. 

"Not since your good Dr. Cho helped me using your serum. Thank you very much."

Steve shook his head, repulsed. "You experimented on Peggy? You're unbelievable."

Tony laughed bitterly. "Right. Back to the "blame Tony" game."

"Why are you ignoring that it was my choice, that I was lucid and consented of my own free will?" Peggy said, giving Steve an arch look. "Anyway, I wasn't the first subject. There was Colonel Rhodes, who needed the serum after he was grievously injured in Schkeuditz while you flitted off in a stolen jet."

Steve swallowed. He'd heard about Rhodes. "How is he doing?"

Tony glared at Steve and responded, grudgingly, "Better."

"And first of all, of course, there was poor Tony."

"Aunt Peg..." Tony whined.

"Whom you left injured in enemy territory, Steven. It took too many hours to retrieve him, and he required experimental treatment to save his life. You couldn't spare five minutes to rescue your fallen mate?"

Steve's guts squirmed unpleasantly at the cold condemnation in Peggy's eyes.

"Bucky was injured too. Remember him?" Steve said resentfully. "I had to get him to safety."

"Right. The Winter Soldier SHIELD spent so many resources trying to track down and identify. Now, of course, I realize why we failed."

"Boy, howdy," Tony muttered.

"But this was Bucky, Peg. You cared about him, too! You were with me when I first thought he was dead."

Peggy sighed, her eyes closing in pain. "Yes. That was a terrible time. I heartily wish you had an opportunity to grieve properly, because it seems you never did."

"But Bucky isn't dead now. Thanks to me."

Tony made a scoffing sound. "Do you know what denial is, Steve?"

"Tony, hush. He's at a disadvantage."

"Yeah, well, his denial has cost the world and my friends a lot. And if Steve had just told us about Barnes two years ago, we could have dispatched a whole team to bring him in from the cold and start digging up his HYDRA handlers. Instead, this nightmare catastrophe happens, with superhumans attacking LEOs and innocent citizens and destroying any progress we'd made acceding to the Accords, losing us our leeway to have them changed." Tony pointed at Steve. "You did that. You have now made it harder for every kid born with special powers or everyone with special gifts wanting to do good in future. That's all on you, Steve, with your 'the best hands are our own' crap."

"Steve said that?" Peggy turned to look at him. "You honestly said, 'The best hands are our own'?" 

"I still believe it," Steve said firmly, his arms crossed.

"Dear Lord, Steven. The best hands are _everyone's_. It's called democracy, you berk."

Steve's stomach dipped again. "But governments are—"

"He's going to say corrupt. He's going to say they have agendas, just watch him," Tony said, gleeful. "Hear it again, blockhead: democracy means by the people, for the people. Sure, there are corrupt people in governments, and everyone always has some sort of agenda: that's the point of doing the work! But the more people you put into the mix, the more personal issues are watered down and evened out into rational decisions." Peggy nodded along. "On the other hand," Stark said heavily, "if you take a single supersoldier with one, overriding agenda to save his bestie from the consequences of 70 years of assassinations and other criminal activity and give him all the power, well. That's a real problem, isn't it? Especially when he keeps his team out of the loop so they think the whole thing is about 'evil government interference.'" Tony glared at Steve. "Were you trying to destroy any and all credibility superheroes have?"

"Okay, Tony. Enough. I think Steve realizes what a git he's been."

"I—Peggy!"

"You were a complete pillock. You haven’t a clue what you're doing. I don't know what Erskine was thinking."

"Peggy..." Tears filled Steve's eyes.

"Oh, Steve. Come here. Sit next to me." 

Steve took the chair next to the bed opposite Tony's, and Peggy reached for his hand. 

"I know things have been difficult for you since you woke up. Didn't you try any of the ideas I gave you for catching up and making new connections?"

"I did. Nat has been a good friend, and so has Sam." Steve looked aside at Tony. "Could you please leave us alone?"

"You want me to leave the international criminal alone with my helpless godmother? I don't think so."

Steve ground his teeth together. "You forced this all on us."

"Honey, keep telling yourself that," Tony said. "Better yet, give that a shot as your defense. I want to see the judge's face."

"Tony...please don't provoke him. I have a good friend next door with a terrible heart condition."

"All right, all right," Tony said, raising his hands. Steve looked at Peggy, utterly betrayed.

"You know I would never hurt you or your friends, Peg."

"And yet you smashed your shield right into my godson's chest, almost killing him. And then left him to rot."

"I'm sorry," Steve said sincerely. "I didn't know he was your godson."

Tony and Peggy exchanged a look.

"Steven, you're meant to avoid killing people regardless of whether or not they're friends."

"I'm pretty sure it's superhero protocol," Tony said, nodding sardonically, and Steve felt his face burn.

"That's not what I meant, obviously," Steve stuttered, but by the ironic smile on Tony's face, he wasn't buying it. Peggy reached for Steve's hand again, and he grabbed at her desperately. "You understand, don't you, Peg?"

"I understand you've had a difficult seventy-five years or so, Steve. I think you need...help."

"What?" Steve recoiled. "You think I'm a nutso."

"The fact you'd use that term only emphasizes how little you understand how much things have changed," Peggy said, but she brushed the back of his hand soothingly. "Seeing a psychiatrist isn't a condemnation of your character."

He tried to pull away but she squeezed his hand a little tighter, pinching him. "I don't need a headshrinker."

"You need a kick in the head," Tony muttered, and Peggy shushed him. Steve fought a moment of dizziness—he really should have eaten before coming—and put his other hand on the bed. 

"I thought you'd be proud of me for sticking to my guns," Steve said. His tongue felt too thick.

"I wish you'd come to me about all this. But you don't like asking for help, do you?"

"Aw, Peg..." The dizziness wasn't passing. "Peggy? I'm feeling awfully...whoa." Steve leaned his head against her shoulder.

"There, there, pet. Get some rest."

Steve nodded, his forehead rubbing against Peggy's collarbone, and he started drifting. He could still hear Peggy saying something, but it was hard to make sense of the words. Something about Tony calling someone.

"I've got it," Tony said. "FRIDAY? Get the JTTF on the line. We have Rogers."

A gentle hand brushed through Steve's hair, so soft and soothing. Helpfully, it plucked the irritating earwig from his ear. 

Steve slid all the way down into the dark.

* * *

Peggy watched as the task force cuffed Steve and strapped him onto a gurney for transport. Once they'd left, Tony came over to give Peggy a farewell kiss on the cheek.

"I'm sorry our day got spoiled. I wanted to tell you about the new division of SI for our prosthetics and medical technology."

"Next time, sweetheart. I'm so glad you happened to stop in today."

"And I'm very glad you still have your shit together, Agent Carter. That could have gotten very messy if you weren't prepared."

"Well," she said, smiling coyly, "You know I would still be on the active list. If there were a list."

"Gotcha." Tony winked and touched her arm one last time before striding out, the jacket of his Tom Ford slung over one shoulder. What a dear, sweet boy.

The earwig in her hand beeped. Peggy placed it in her ear and clicked it on and was immediately confronted by a woman's impatient voice.

_"Steve? We're ten minutes out from ex-fil. Where are you?"_

"Ah. The Widow, I believe. This is Agent Carter. I'm afraid Steve won't be joining you."

There was a moment of silence, then the Widow said, _"Where is he?"_

"He's been...unavoidably detained."

_"Huh. Surprising."_

"Is it really, though?" Peggy smiled sadly. "Good bye, Ms. Romanov."

_"Good bye, Agent Carter."_

Peggy went to the bathroom and flushed the earwig down the toilet, then poured a dose of her nighttime nanite-boosting cocktail. It was remarkable how much cognitive function she'd recovered in a mere two weeks.

Raising her glass, she toasted her brilliant godson and guzzled the drink down then went back to editing her biography. 

Those idiots had gotten her all bloody wrong.  


  
_End._


End file.
